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The Gratitude to Teacher and Diligence, Part I
The Clear Stream Hamlet is for the nuns, symbolizing a clear, pure stream; the Solidity Hamlet is for the monks, representing the image of a solid mountain. The names carry the aspiration that the nuns cultivate clarity and purity in order to be happy and radiate joy, while the monks must be solid and stable in the face of all temptations, offering encouragement and being a refuge for others.
The practice of meditation is centered on two main gathas, one for sitting and one for walking, each practiced for five minutes to immediately feel peace and concentration:
- Let the Buddha breathe, let the Buddha sit – I do not have to breathe, I do not have to sit, the Buddha breathes, the Buddha sits, I get to breathe, I get to sit
- Let the Buddha breathe, let the Buddha walk – I do not have to breathe, I do not have to walk, the Buddha breathes, the Buddha walks, I get to breathe, I get to walk
Next is the meditation on non-self, through the awareness that the breath and the posture (the step) are simultaneous manifestations of mental formations; there is no breather, there is no sitter. Deep practice helps us to see that we and the Buddha are one, breaking through the notion of a separate self, and attaining the insight of the Middle Way.
